Four weeks later

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I sat at the dining room table next to Carly and frowned at the math homework they’d sent home for her from school. “Just the counting today? No addition?”

“No addition,” she replied, nodding enthusiastically. “Guess what?”

“What?” I asked.

“I’m glad it’s just counting. Adding sometimes make my hands sticky.”

I chuckled at that and threw an arm around her shoulder, dragged her into a brief hug. She was such a ray of sunshine and had been for the past four weeks. The past four blissfully quiet weeks. No motorcycles following us around, no more break-ins at my old apartment, and no ominous calls on my cell.

I was safe. Or so it felt. Safe and totally in deep fucking trouble, because I had fallen for my boss. And every day in this house was a blissful struggle. My best friend had ignored all my calls, and Bryan’s too, and I spent each day looking after Carly, growing closer to her too.

It was like being drawn into a spider’s web, and the spider was my own set of choices.

“Riley?” Carly tapped me on the arm. “I finished counting to one hundred.”

“Oh! Oh, of course, sweetheart. I’m sorry, I was miles away. I just—I’ve been a little distracted this afternoon, haven’t I?”

“Are you OK?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” I smiled at her, then closed her homework book, smiling at the cute puppy dog cover. “So, that’s it for homework this afternoon. I’ll fix you a snack. What would you like?”

“Um, I think a peanut butter jelly sandwich?”

“Please?”

“Please,” she chimed in, grinning at me.

“OK, coming right up. Carly, you clean up your books, and I’ll get the sandwich done for you, all right?”

“Yes, Riley.” She dutifully started packing her books into her bag, one by one, and stowing her pencil and eraser in the little pencil bag her daddy had bought for her.

I walked to the dining room door, over the carpeted floor, my thoughts turning to Bryan all over again.

“Riley?” Carly’s voice stopped me mid-stride.

“Yes?” I looked back at her, over my shoulder.

“Are you and Daddy going to be boyfriend and girlfriend now?”

My heart tha-thumped against the inside of my chest. Wasn’t that a question? Good god, the last thing I’d expected. Bryan and I had been pretty careful about hiding our relationship from her. No sleeping in each other’s beds, strictly no touching or affection in front of Carly. We didn’t want to confuse her or freak her out.

“Carly, that’s—no, I don’t think so. I mean, that’s not something you need to worry about at the moment, OK? Nothing’s going to change. I’m still your nanny, and daddy is still your daddy, and nothing is going to change.” Ugh, what a shocking attempt at consoling her.

“I want things to change a bit,” she said, quietly, clutching her pencil to her chest. “I think Dad is lonely and he likes you.”

How was it possible I was having this conversation with a six-year-old? “Carly,” I said, and walked over to her again. I dropped down to her level and placed my hands on her shoulders. “Honey, this is not something you need to worry about, I promise.”

“I’m not worried,” Carly said. “I just want everyone to be happy, and you seem happy when Dad is around.”

I hugged her tight, silently cursing this moment. Complications? What were those? “I know, but you know what, let’s talk about this another time, OK? Why don’t we fix some pancakes again? Would you like that?” My stomach turned at the suggestion—I wasn’t into sweet things lately.

“Yes!” Carly made quick work of packing away her books and pencils after that. Apparently, the promise of pancakes was enough to help her forget the question. The question I dreaded.

God, I wasn’t even sure that I knew what we were yet, and I certainly didn’t want to talk about it with Carly yet. It would only confuse her.

And what if things don’t work out? What if Bev never speaks to you again? She’s your best friend, and she’s ignoring all your calls.

I shoved the thoughts aside ruthlessly and entered the kitchen, set about preparing the pancake batter while she put her things away. The past four weeks had been great, but a growing doubt sat in the back of my mind.

The calm, the happiness? It couldn’t last. There were too many questions to be answered. There was too much on the line, and I couldn’t help feeling that in the end, it would come back to haunt me again.